


Persona 3: Interlocked

by MikaMyers



Series: Persona 3: Relocked [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Mental Health Issues, One-Sided Attraction, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Teen Angst, Underage Drinking, twin!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-05-16 21:24:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19326385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikaMyers/pseuds/MikaMyers
Summary: Everyone puts on a mask, but some conform to the shape of it more than others. He had abandoned it long ago, not caring about the consequences of removing it. She desperately clung onto it, hoping for normalcy where none was. They were one and the same, yet so different. One year, another to add to the collection of past years that had broken them into the fragmented pieces they now held onto, wondering when it would end. When would they be able to put those broken pieces back together, back into something that resembled their past?Tatsumi Port Island promised them answers.[Twin!AU // Canon-Divergence]





	1. The Contract

Chapter 1

04/07/09

“The Contract”

 

_ Anehazuru _

 

“Do you think they’ll care that we’re late?”

 

…  
  
“C’mon, I know you can hear me.”  
  
…  
  
“Hellooooo?”  
  
A pale hand stops the approaching finger that dared enter his personal space, lifeless fingers wrapped around a thin wrist and pulls it off without as much as a blink.

 

“You’re such a buzzkill.”

 

“And you’re annoying.”

 

“Fine, be a baby. I’m going to go to admire the scenery away from your depressing ass.”

 

He watches her shamble over to the window without a care in the world, arms crossing with a huff, eyebrows scrunching together and a frown appearing like someone had just called her annoying.

 

...

 

Whatever, she would get over it like she always did. If not, then it was her problem for letting it get to her.

 

Minato adjusts his earphones, pulling them tighter onto his ears until there wasn’t a difference between metal and flesh. Music blasted and deadened his eardrums, the surrounding landscape escaping his vision until it was just one and himself in an endless sea of vibrations.

 

The boy couldn’t even hear the sigh escape his lips as he sinks further into the seat. Traveling, in general, was already a pain but now he was supposed to deal with the fact that his sister was going to be a nuance as per usual. Maybe at this point, he should’ve been used to it. He wished he was. But the pricking of irritation always poked him where it caused him the most pain.

 

Meanwhile, the aforementioned sister was staring at practically nothing if she said so herself. Cement walls after more cement walls were all she could see, like a flipbook from the mind of a blind man. So much for scenery, She didn’t want drab gray splattered across the canvas for the rest of the train ride, she wanted something she could feast her eyes on away from everything that plagued her mind. Her brother, the train ride, what had happened before they boarded... The bubbling of a dangerous brew of doubt and anxiety pitted itself inside her stomach. Or maybe that brew was stored in that empty pit that people talked about. The vortex or black hole that sucked everything away.

 

She shakes her head.

 

This wasn’t the time to get mopey. Instead, this was the beginning of a new horizon. Yes, that’s what it was. Lips upturned, she turns away from the window and heads back to her spot next to her slumped brother, away from the blue butterfly that missed her roaming eye against that cold slab of cement.

 

A mutual silence falls between the pair. This wasn’t anything unusual and yet, it didn’t feel familiar either. Nothing had felt familiar that day if either really thought hard on it, not like they would. Both were inside their own minds, with their own thoughts, with their own lives that tried not to involve one another as much as possible.

 

**_“Our apologies for the inconvenience earlier in the day. Our next stop is Iwatodai, again our next stop is-”_ **

 

Hamuko didn’t need a second hearing to bounce up and retrieve her bag, throwing her brother’s over into his lap. He jolts awake from the trance he been held in for the past ten minutes, eyes narrowing at his sister before tightly grabbing the duffel-bag and heaving it over his shoulder.

 

“Maybe you could be gentler with my belongings,” he mutters while they waited for the doors to slide open. 

 

She merely smiles at his statement, placing a stray brown hair behind her ear. “I’m glad to know you still retain human emotion. I thought I lost you there for a minute.”

 

“You hurt me so,” was his only response, pushing past her once the doors opened.

 

A chilling blast of air strikes the pair when they exit. Which was a contrast as they travel further into the subway station and find that the air had an unfamiliar stagnation in it, comparable only to a muggy day in the middle of a highway. The air was there and you could feel it course and touch your body with each step but it didn’t retain much life to it. You were merely wading through it.

 

That should've been the first clue that something was off. Instead, both twins ignored it. Or, they didn’t want to think about it. Or maybe even, they didn’t notice it. After all, the sight of the lights going off at once was much more unusual than the state of the air.

 

Yes, at the stroke of midnight, the electrical hum of mechanical workings stopped and for the first time in a long while in Iwatodai, it was still. 

 

Minato allows his earphones to collide against his chest while he glares at the state of the surroundings around him. The lights had all turned off at once obviously. His mind immediately went to the thought of a power outage. Even then, that didn’t explain-

 

“That’s… blood?” Hamuko says, as much as a question as it was an all-encompassing statement. He follows to where her stare landed and saw the remnants of blood splatter on the (broken?) clock that hung on the station wall, leaving a clear white to be clouded with crimson.

 

Taking a closer inspection around showed that the walls were leaking the foul-smelling liquid as well.

 

_ ‘That throws my theory out the window,’  _ Minato thought.

 

Hamuko decides to take it one step further and runs a finger through it, flailing her hand afterward like she was attempting to swat an invisible fly.

 

“It’s warm!” She exclaims. “Did we just step into a living subway station?”

 

She looks to her brother for reassurance that she wasn’t the only one who was losing her mind but saw him walking up the steps of the station.

 

With an exasperated sigh, Hamuko stalks her way up the stairs and stops where her brother is. “Really, you decided to leave your precious sister down…” Her words falter once she turns her head upwards.

 

The moon had enlarged and taken over a significant portion of the sky, becoming a sickly yellow against a pale green backdrop. Thick swarms of clouds gathered together to hide the remaining portions of what was left of the Heavens above.

 

He wasn’t showing it but she could tell that Minato was alarmed by the display that plagued both of them. Her brother gives a slow blink, then shrugging his bag into a better position onto his shoulder. 

 

“Let’s get going. It’s no use to stay here, right? After all, we don’t wanna be late.” Hamuko smiles at her brother, knowing she wasn’t going to get a response but needing something with a semblance of normality to hide the fact that they had literally just been dropped into a world different than their own. One that, had blood pooling at their feet and black shapes sprouting in the distance.

 

She tries to take a few steps forward but found that he wasn’t moving at all, instead staring blankly into the open space. A few minutes of prodding, poking, coercing, didn’t do anything to change the fact that he wouldn’t get a move on.

 

Finally, she grabs his wrist and holds on tightly, pulling him behind her with all the might a sixteen-year-old girl could muster.

 

For once, Hamuko was thankful that he didn’t have the strength to stop her.

 

_ Tatsumi Port Island _

 

Navigating the city of Tatsumi Port Island proved to be a bigger hassle than either had expected. Forty-five minutes of walking (being dragged in Minato’s case) and it seemed like they weren’t anywhere close to Hanatoda street. 

 

“I feel like we’ve been walking in a big circle,” Hamuko grumbles, deciding to let her brother rest up against the side of a seemingly abandoned store. If she were to be truthful, she needed a bit of rest as well. 

 

Attempting to navigate through rows upon rows of coffins that jutted through the ground like fingers desperately trying to grasp towards the ill-fallen sky was an eerie sight, one that ceased any chatter from Hamuko and somehow even more silence from Minato.

 

Finally, the blue-haired teen said, “I think we have.” His bony finger directs towards an advertisement hanging on the window of a fast-food restaurant. “My third time seeing that.”

 

“...Shit.” 

 

She rubs her eyes, irritating them even further than they were. God, this just had to be the highlight of her day, like it wasn’t already just a clusterfuck of despair at every given opportunity.

 

“Don’t cry, Hamuko,” Minato says. His voice drawls, dragging the cry into an attempt at humor. An attempt it certainly was.

 

She shrugs it off, wiping her abused eyes. “I’m not crying! This is pure frustration coming out of my orifices.” 

 

“That frustration sure had the appearance of tears,” he comments, pushing himself off the wall and stepping over to her.

 

“Yeah, they tend to be interchangeable,” Hamuko replies, face brightening ever so slightly when she saw his lips crack from their blank facade.

 

Silence befell them again, and they continue their travels side by side. Time passes, the amount unknown as there was no sign of movement anywhere in the town besides their heels clicking against the blood-stained pavement.

 

And then, it was there. A mere blink later and the inviting light from multiple windows piqued them to draw closer like moths to a flame. 

 

Iwatodai Dormitory sprung from the shadows straight into the sky, yellow squares dotting its surface in what should’ve been inviting, but instead gave a sense of uneasiness to both. 

 

Minato did a double-check with the admission’s pamphlet, confirming this was indeed the right residence. He wouldn’t voice it, but a gnawing feeling ate away at his insides just at the mere thought of going inside. 

 

“We made it… yay…” Hamuko throws a victory fist in-front of her, boot digging into the puddle she stood in as she pours over the new living space they would be living in for the foreseeable future.

 

“Ladies first,” Minato says, climbing up the steps and holding the door for her.

 

She drags herself up the steps, letting out a loud sigh. “Always choosing the right moment to be a gentleman.”

 

Hamuko enters the dormitory, having to shield her eyes from the piercing light that encompassed the living area. It was far too bright, saturation dialed up in an ungodly amount of white highlight that threatened to burn her retinas off.

 

“You’re late.”

 

An unfamiliar voice drifts from the left, causing Hamuko to stiffen in her position. Slowly, her head bobs to the source, eyeing a young child. Polished red eyes stared expectantly at the teenage girl, pale hands gripping both cheeks with an upturned smile.

 

“I’ve been waiting for such a long time.”

 

Minato stares blankly into the chilled eyes of the young boy, looking away quickly and taking a step towards him. His movements slow, mind drawing a blank. Why was he here?

 

“If you wish to proceed…” A snap of fingers and there laid a booklet on top of the counter, feathered quill and a glass jar of ink sitting neatly beside it. The young girl pats the book, subdued brown curls bouncing as she gave an expected look to Hamuko.

 

“It’s a contract,” the young boy explains, a childish laugh leaving him at Minato’s quizzical expression. “Don’t worry, there’s no need to be scared.”

 

“All it says is you’ll take full responsibility for your actions.” 

 

Their mind fogs.

 

Quill dips into ink, the book flipped onto the correct page. The contract.

 

_ I chooseth this fate on my own free will _

 

Ink to paper.

 

_ Arisato Hamuko _

 

_ Arisato Minato _

 

“Time is something no one can escape.”

 

The booklet appears in the boy’s hands, clasped to the chest. He takes a step back, a snap of his fingers and the booklet vanishing into the air.

 

“It delivers us all to the same end,” the young girl continues. The sickly green reached into the room, the lights turned off now. When had they turned off? It didn’t matter now. The shadows were overtaking the girl’s body, reaching and twisting around her form until she was one with it.

 

“...And so it begins.” 

 

They were gone.

 

Minato blinks, standing in the doorway of the dormitory while his sister stood in front of him, twirling a brown hair around her index finger.

 

“What just-?”

 

“Who’s there!?”

 

_ Earlier - Iwatodai Dormitory _

 

“I just… put it to my head…”

 

Actions spoke louder than words, and that was certainly proven to Yukari. Her head knocks against the cabinet, handle digging into the back of her head. The pallid sky shines through the window, encasing her in a faint green glow, sweat shining on her pale skin as she attempts to do the deed.

 

“...And pull the trigger…”

 

She could barely hear her instructions over the gush of liquid coming out of the sink above her and the sporadic beat of her heart coursing the same fluid throughout her body. Why was this so difficult?

 

Cold steel presses against the middle of her forehead. Sliding hands tightly holding the grip of the weapon, pressing the barrel further in.

 

Just a mere twitch away from pulling the trigger. 

 

There was no harm in it.

 

Besides her brains being blown out all over the room, leaving a corpse to rot and congeal.

 

_ ‘Stop thinking and just do it!’ _

 

All of her blood pouring into the cracks of the floors, flavoring the wood with her trace that was here, she pulled the trigger, and that trigger led to her being-

 

“I-I can’t!”

 

The gun skids across the floor, leaving her to choke back a sob, the beginnings of wet eyelashes forming. She stays on the floor for a few minutes, finally collecting herself enough to turn off the sink and make sure that she is at least in a semi-decent state of appearance.

 

_ `It would be fantastic to have Kirijo-senpai see me after a crying fit.’  _

 

That stops any remaining tears from exiting. Yukari begins to fix her cardigan but before she could continue, however a loud creak hisses from the first floor. Adrenaline floods her body. Who could’ve been opening the door at this time?

 

She swallows dryly, laying down on the floor and places her ear against the wood. A few moments of silence follows. Then,  hushed whispers creak through the cracks. 

 

Yukari stands back up, about to exit. She pauses for a second, noticing the fallen gun. She picks it up and places it into her holster.

 

One hand on the handle and another opening the door, she shouts “Who’s there!?”

 

...

 

No response.

 

_ Current - Iwatodai Dormitory _

 

“How can you be… But it’s..!”

 

“I think there’s a misunderstanding!” Hamuko exclaims, hands raised in a suggestion of peace. “We’re not here to rob the place!”

 

Minato shoots a glare at his sister for putting the idea in the clearly unstable girl’s head. Unstable meaning, her fingers were itching over a gun that was hoisted on her thigh. A bloated moon, freaky little prison boys, and now a teenage girl ready to blow his head off two minutes inside his new living space. He was having the time of his life.

 

Hamuko meanwhile was attempting to find the best position to try and wrestle the girl into the ground without having a chunk taken out of her. Given how she didn’t have it in her hand yet, Hamuko took the chance and bounds over.

 

“Hamuko!”   
  


“Takeba!”

 

An electrical hum runs through the dormitory, lights flickering back on to a peculiar sight.

 

The gun was no longer in the original owner’s hand, instead finding it now in Hamuko’s steady arms. She backs away from the now gobsmacked female, dropping it to the ground and kicking it to the side.

 

“I didn’t think you’d arrive so late.”

 

A feminine voice drifted from the stairs, brown eyes scanning the scene that lay before her. Her heels clicking against the wooden staircase, she stands next to the brunette.

 

“My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I’m one of the students who live in this dorm.” 

 

Mitsuru offers a smile to the twins, seemingly not peeved by what she had clearly seen occur just moments ago.

 

“Arisato Hamuko,” Hamuko greets, attempting to pretend that she hadn’t just disarmed someone a second ago. “That’s my brother, Minato.”

 

Minato steps over to stand next to Hamuko, merely giving a slight nod, then beginning to staring at his new surroundings. He makes a point to avoid eye contact with either of the new faces, some more observant of the fact than others.

 

“Who are they?” The brunette asks, eyeing Hamuko and Minato with suspicion, a mixture of fear more so when looking at the girl. Her view trails over to the fallen gun.

 

“They’re transfer students,” Mitsuru explains, crossing her arms. “It was a last minute decision to assign them here. Eventually, they’ll be moved to normal dorms.”

 

“Oh… I see.” The girl whispers something inaudible under her breath. “So… is it okay if they stay here?”

 

Mitsuru shrugs, only offering another smile, one that Minato feels was more forced than anything. “I guess we’ll see.” She gestures to the other. “This is Takeba Yukari. She’ll be a junior this spring, just like you.”

 

“...Ah.” 

 

Hamuko snorts at the awkward response her brother gave, pursing her lips to keep any laughter from escaping. “It’s nice to meet you! Even if the circumstances were less than… normal.” 

 

“Yes, It was quite a sight to see coming to meet the new tenants,” Mitsuru muses, proceeding over to the gun and picking it up. She walks back over to the group, removing the magazine to show that it was empty. “Don’t worry, no harm would’ve been done.”

 

“Oh!” Hamuko gasps, looking over to her brother. He merely gives a glance, not seeming too perturbed by it. “So it’s kinda like a scare tactic?”

 

Yukari smiles. “Y-Yeah! It’s not like I could own a real gun. It’s just to scare off any potential threats.”

 

“Wow, that’s pretty smart. You played the part well, too!” Hamuko compliments. She was beginning to be thankful that she decided on a simple disarming than a full-on takedown. That wouldn’t end well.

 

“Thanks…”

 

“Anyways, it’s getting late,” Mitsuru interjects. “Takeba, why don’t you show him to his room while I escort Arisato to her room?”

 

“Me?” Yukari questions, blinking in thought. She gives a small shrug. “Okay… follow me.”

 

“Goodnighhhhtt Minato-chan. Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” Hamuko waves to her brother, bidding him goodnight.

 

“Uh-huh,” was his only response, brushing past his sister.

 

“Takeba.” Mitsuru grips Yukari’s shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She places the gun in her holster. “Don’t forget your prop.”

 

_ Iwatodai Dormitory - Second Floor _

 

“This is it…”

 

Yukari leads Minato up a level of the dormitory, stopping once they had reached the last door to the right. Arisato notes that there only seemed to be one room occupied on the floor, belonging to someone named “Sanada.” 

 

_ ‘With all the commotion that happened earlier, it’s odd that ‘Sanada’ didn’t try and see what was going on. Either he really doesn’t care or he isn’t here. If that’s the case, would they willingly let someone out this late at night?’ _

 

“...Or you’ll never hear the end of it. Now, any questions?”

 

Minato realizes that he had completely ignored what she had said for the last minute. He furrows his eyebrows in an attempt to look like he was trying to think of something, avoiding any eye contact with her.

 

“Um…no questions,” he replies, internally cringing at how pathetic he sounded.

 

“Okay.” She pauses afterward, leading to the pair standing by one another in silence. After a moment, Yukari says “Um… can I ask you something?”

 

“...Alright.”

 

“On your way here from the station, was everything okay?”

 

Now that certainly was an interesting question. He blinks in succession, attempting to formulate a response to that. It was peculiar she was asking that, with what had happened when he and Hamuko were heading through town.

 

_ ‘She must know something. Why else would she be asking this? Though from the looks of it, maybe it would be better to feign ignorance. After all, she almost did shoot me.’ _

 

“I got lost,” was his final verdict of a response, finding it to be technically correct as they had been but not revealing too much. He scratches his neck, then looks at his fingers, avoiding her stare.

 

Yukari stiffened pose visibly relaxes after his response, a genuine smile appearing. 

 

“Sometimes the streets can be confusing. Especially if it’s your first time here. I’m sure you’ll be fine once it’s light out.” 

 

“Yeah, probably.” He goes from checking his fingers to his watch, startled to see that it was around a quarter to one. Time was not on his side today.

 

“Well, I should be going,” Yukari states, reaching inside her cardigan’s pocket and handing Minato a key. “Be careful not to lose it, okay? Good night.”

 

She walks off, leaving Minato to unlock his room. The door creaks open, the smell of disinfectant and wood hitting him. He closes the door with a jab of his shoulder, throwing his bag onto the bed and unzipping the traveling case.

 

Inside, he pulls out a monochrome laptop and places it onto his desk, alongside a charger which he promptly plugs in.

 

His mind wanders to the events that occurred over the course of the day, deciding that it was simply best to just forget about them focus on the now. After all, who would believe any of that actually happened? He wasn’t too sure if he did.

 

Turning off the lights, he proceeds to sit down and turn on his computer.

 

_ ‘1:20? That gives me… six hours give or take? Plenty of time.’’ _

 

The room fills with a dull glow.

 

_ Iwatodai Dormitory - Third Floor _

 

“...And here is your room, Arisato.”

 

Mitsuru leads Hamuko down the hall of the girl’s floor, handing the girl a key. She explains a few rules to the new girl, ranging from no running in the hallways to not leaving the dormitory past a certain hour. Hamuko paid attention, not wanting to make an even worse impression than she knew she already had.

 

_ ‘She hasn’t mentioned anything about it but I really don’t want to start this off on the wrong foot. I can’t imagine being on her bad side.’ _

 

Kirijo was quite beautiful, with her red waves cascading down her back and non-blemished skin. Hamuko had been dazzled seeing her heels click against the floor as they were walking, leaving her skin tingling and burning red.

 

“I’ll admit Arisato, you’ve made quite a first impression,” Mitsuru says, arms crossing and a smile slipping into place.

 

“Oh y-yeah? I hope we’re talking about a good one,” Minako replies, giving a hollow laugh that quickly dies out.

 

“Interesting might be a better description. I’m curious, where did you learn to disarm an attacker so easily? Not everyone can do that with such fluidity.”

 

Hamuko flushes. “Honestly? It just seemed like the right course of action. I just let my body go free reign and I ended up on top,” she explains, pulling at a stray hair.

 

Mitsuru considers this, finally nodding. “I see. I thought there may have been more to it but this explanation is satisfactory. For now.” She chuckles at Hamuko’s bewildered expression. “I’m only joking. I shall let you rest for your first day tomorrow. Good night, Arisato.”

 

“Goodnight, Kirijo-san! Thank you for taking me to my room,” Hamuko bows, giving a small wave as she watches Mitsuru walk back to the stairs.

 

_ ‘Shouldn’t she be going to her room? Why is she walking upstairs? Actually, what IS upstairs?’ _

 

Hamuko saves the questions for the time-being, filing them away and entering her new living quarters. She places her bag down, promising herself to put everything away once she got home tomorrow.

 

_ ‘And Minato’s things too if I know him.’ _

 

There was one thing she needed from the bag though, something that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. A small zipper inside the main section of her bag is pulled, opening to a small container, around the size of her palm and silver in color. She picks it up, unscrewing the lid.

 

She took a sip from the container, sighing once she felt the warmth spread through her body.

 

Hamuko thinks about the little girl as she lays down, drink in her outstretched hand. Maybe it was from the lack of sleep, or maybe her habits were finally getting to her. 

 

She takes another sip, giggling once she feels the flames burn throughout her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm finally publishing the first chapter to a long series! This is exciting. So yeah, this is my take on Persona 3. There's definitely going to be a lot of headcanons and my own characterization on many characters, especially the twins. Plus, I'm planning on diverging from some points and adding in extra backstory for characters. I hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter because I'm actually almost done on the second one lmao. Anyways, thanks for reading and feel free to ask questions if needed. See y'all in the next chapter!


	2. Watched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hamuko and Minato make a startling revelation in the morning. Friendships are made, and paranoia grows for the twins.

Chapter 2

04/07/09

“Watched”

 

_Hamuko’s Room_

 

“Ughh…”

 

Hamuko groans awake, rubbing her throbbing head with a hand. Last night was… quite a doozy to put it simply. She swore to herself that she was only going to a few sips to help clear away whatever the hell was going on yesterday. Then it became another, and another, and another…

 

She presses on both her temples, inhaling deeply.

 

_‘I need to shower, get rid of the evidence of last night’s bender.’_

 

She hadn’t really noted where the showers actually were while she was gathering her things. It didn’t seem that they were on the third floor, considering there wasn’t enough room to have one. The only likely scenario was on the ground floor or the fourth floor.

 

_‘Could that be where Mitsuru went? I didn’t hear any water running though.’_

 

Good of a time as any to see what exactly was up there. Caddy in hand, Hamuko exits her room and locks it behind her, before sneaking down the hall. She didn’t want the entire floor to realize she was about to go rogue and explore unprompted. 

 

Hamuko grimaces when the stairs creak underneath her with each step she takes up. With each groan, her heart thundered in her chest, threatening to break out of its containment.

 

Finally, she reaches the top and frowns when she sees only a set of double-doors. What a let-down, going commando up the stairs and yet only finding a bare room. Hamuko attempts to open the doors but only finds them locked. She starts to jiggle them harder but stiffens when she hears whispering coming from behind the locked doors.

 

“...nothing of note as of yet…”

 

“...Insomnia?”

 

“Watch her tonight…”

 

_‘...And that’s my cue to leave.’_

 

She didn’t know what the hell she just overheard but didn’t plan on finding out. Hamuko rushes down the stairs, almost crashing halfway down in an attempt to look like she totally wasn’t just eavesdropping on whoever was inside that room.

 

Something did gnaw at her though, something that she couldn’t stop thinking about. 

 

_‘Are they… planning on watching me?’_

 

_Minato’s Room_

 

Minato adjusts his bow tie in the mirror, frowning when the garment ended up lopsided. Sighing, he undoes it from his neck and repeats the process again, lightly bobbing his head to the music that plays from his headphones.

 

He feels better than last night, having been distracted enough by his shows that he barely even cared about what occurred. In all honesty, he likely just imagined the whole thing. It wasn’t the first odd occurrence that has happened to him, and certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

 

_‘But again, Hamuko seemed to be experiencing the same thing.’_

 

Perhaps it was one of those unnatural phenomena that occurred with siblings. Like the telepathy that has been reported, or the feeling of pain shared with one another. Instead this time, they were sharing the same delusion.

 

The bowtie now lays on his chest, proudly adjusted to the middle than the previous half-assed attempt. 

 

He exits his room, but not before grabbing his laptop and backpack. Minato shoves the electronic inside, zipping the bag and cradling it in his grip while he headed downstairs, letting the bag swing with each step.

 

Once downstairs, he’s greeted by the aroma of coffee and some type of breakfast. Curry perhaps? He isn’t sure until he sits down at the dining table and is greeted by a plate of toast smeared with bean paste.

 

“Good morning, Minato-chan!” His sister’s melodic voice drifts from the kitchen, pots, and pans clattering while he presumes she’s doing dishes.

 

“Already making yourself at home,” he says, crunching down on the toast. “Not bad.”

 

She arrives at the table, wiping her hands with a washcloth. “Someone has to get good at cooking. It’s that or seeing you drown in ramen.” Hamuko pats his shoulder, taking a seat next to him.

 

_‘She never sits down next to me while eating. Weird.’_

 

His sister looks around as if she’s afraid of someone overhearing. She leans in, close enough that he’s able to smell her strawberry-scented shampoo. 

 

“We’re being watched.”

 

He takes another bite, chewing slowly as if trying to decide to ignore her or attempting to gather his thoughts. Finally, he says, “And why is that?”

 

Another scan of the room by her. “Cause I accidentally overheard something on the fourth floor.”

 

“Okay and..?”

 

“It’s weird they were saying to watch ‘her’ tonight!” She hissed in his ear, head rapidly looking every which way that almost made Minato think that it was going to crack.

 

“Maybe they’re talking about Takeba. I’d watch her after she threatens to shoot two people in one night.” He gives a shrug, pushing his plate away and taking a sip of his coffee. Face morphing into disgust, he coughs and spits the liquid back into the cup. “This tastes awful. Did you not put any sugar in this?”

 

“Sorry I couldn’t find any sugar! Besides, I'm not trying to give you a heart attack at age sixteen.”

 

“Heart attack?”

 

The twins flinch, looking back to see Yukari walk down the stairs. She wears the same pink cardigan as last night, but this time doesn’t have the holster on her thigh. Thankfully.

 

“Minato insists on having enough sugar in his coffee to kill a rhino,” Hamuko explains, shifting her body away from Minato. “I’m trying to prevent early death.”

 

He sighs. “Who cares? I rather die early than have to live in a black coffee world.”

 

Yukari giggles, placing her bag on one of the chairs and taking a seat in front of them. “I get what you mean. We usually have sugar but I may or may not have used all of it.” Her cheeks redden with a sheepish smile. “I can get some after school if you want.”

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry-”

 

“Actually that’s a great idea! Maybe you can take us around after school to show us around. If, that’s okay of course. I don’t wanna interrupt any plans you might have.”

 

Minato shoots a glare at Hamuko, appalled that she even dared introduce the idea. If anything, he was the one who had plans after school. He couldn’t just miss the new episode of his show to hang with his sister and a gun-wielding teenage girl. Besides, didn’t his sister just accuse her of watching them? Or was she referring to Mitsuru? Either way, he wants no part in this.

 

“I wish I could but I have archery practice after school,” Yukari apologizes. “Maybe we can postpone it for tomorrow?” She pulls out her phone, opening it and squinting at the screen. “It looks like we should be going. I’ll show you how to get to school at the very least.”

 

“I appreciate it!” Hamuko thanks, getting up and taking her brother’s plate and cup from the table. “Let me finish the dishes real quick.” She heads to the kitchen, leaving the two alone.

 

“So...” Yukari begins. “How did you sleep, Minato-san?” She leans on the table, resting her chin on her hand.

 

He scratches his neck. “It was fine. Bed was comfortable enough.”

 

She nods her head, brow furrowing for a brief moment before returning back to a neutral expression. “That’s good. I had trouble sleeping when I first arrived here so it’s nice to know you’re able to.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

…

 

And… there was that awkward silence again! Ready to strike at moment’s notice, making any encounter with the opposite sex be your last. 

 

He didn’t know if it was nerves, stupidity, a combination of both or what but he managed to ruin any social interactions he had. It was a curse that came back to bite him in the ass whenever he tried to open his mouth, to let a single syllable out, to let his mouth open and close like a water-deprived goldfish. 

 

_‘Not like it matters. By the time it’s Sunday, I’ll be left alone again. Just count the days down, Minato.’_

 

“Kay, you guys ready?” His sister interrupts.

 

“Yeah,” Yukari and Minato reply. Hamuko laughs as they stare at one another, quickly losing eye contact and standing up.

 

_‘Just count the days. Four, three, two, one.’_

 

_Anehazuru_

 

Hamuko wasn’t sure what to expect when she boards the monorail. She had been on it the previous night and well, she saw how well that turned out. Instead of doom and gloom, it was replaced with sunshine coloring her face and the laughter and chatter of those around her.

 

She stands next to Yukari, idly watching her brother stare out the window with his headphones on. Hamuko had a suspicion that he may have been upset with her because of her suggestion at the dining table.

 

_‘It’s not like I was planning on pushing him into the deep end. He needs some type of social life. Still, maybe I should let him go at his own pace. And with someone who isn’t possibly watching him at night.’_

 

Brother being moody aside, the ride to school was pleasant and had a tinge of hope intertwined, hope that this year could be good. One that was remembered because of happy memories and friendships made. It wasn’t much to ask. Just, grit and bare through the negativity and you would find happiness.

 

“Bet you didn’t have to travel through the monorail at your last school, huh?” Yukari leans closer to Hamuko, attempting to be heard through the amplitude of sound around them.

 

Hamuko shakes her head. “Definitely not. We had to travel through a dirt road and try not to trip from a pothole.” The girls share a laugh.

 

“If you look out the window, you can see the school,” Yukari says, prompting Humako to look out into the horizon.

 

The high school loomed in the distance, overtaking an entire island to itself from the sheer magnitude and size it was. Her jaw drops, flabbergasted that an entire island could house one high school.

 

“That’s seriously Gekkoukan?”

 

“Seriously,” Yukari replies, taking a stance next to Hamuko. “You’d have a hard time finding a bigger school than this.”

 

“No shit,” Hamuko mutters, instantly regretting her choice of words. She looks to Yukari but is relieved when she seems to of not noticed.

 

“If you take a closer look, you can tell that it’s man-made,” Yukari says, pointing to the area around the school. “See? All flat.”

 

“Who would build an entire island just for a school?”

 

“The Kirijo group,” was Yukari’s simple reply.

 

“Kirijo…?” Hamuko makes the connection to her roommate. “Mitsuru-san?”

 

Yukari nodded.

 

If Mitsuru’s family was rich enough to build an island and a school, what else could’ve they built?

 

“...Yukari-san, did the Kirijo group happen to build our dorms, too?”

 

Yukari blinks. “Actually, yeah. They own a lot around here. What made you ask?”

 

“Just curious.”

 

_Gekkoukan High_

 

He trails behind the two girls, almost behind left behind by the fast pace Yukari was determined to keep as she points to different landmarks of the massive school. Minato was actually impressed by the school which was a first. 

 

_‘Considering how much has already happened, I'm sure there’ll be a lot of ‘firsts’ for me.’_

 

Minato notes how Yukari flits from person to person, acting like a buzzing bee who has to get to as many flowers as she can. Obviously, she was popular, but to the amount that she seems to be showcasing, that was interesting. Interesting in that, why did she agree to showcase the two new kids? Was it just some publicity stunt to show that she was such a kind-hearted girl, ready to help the orphans in any way she can?

 

Or was she just nice?

 

He scoffs at the idea.

 

She leads them both inside, stopping in the middle of the cubbies. “You’ll be okay from here, right?”

 

And here it was. Deciding to drop them off before she can be seen by more of her peers and labeled as a dirty traitor for dare associating with the nobodies that crawled their way to this prestigious high school. It was too good to be true.

 

“...to the left. And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?”

 

Hamuko looks like she’s about to speak but before she can continue, Minato steps up, shaking his head. “No, I think that’s enough. Thanks.”

 

He walks away, leaving the girls behind and skulks off to the assignment board. He can hear them whisper behind him but he doesn’t care. Why would he have to care what his annoying-ass sister and his deranged roommate are talking about? Probably him, he’s sure of it.

 

_‘What’s getting into me? Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed up last night. Ha, pretty sure I said that the night before.’_

 

Reading the board, he finds that a sticky-note was plastered on half-assed that named both him and his sister in the same homeroom. Wow, his luck sure was shining.

 

“Hey, Minato,” Hamuko grabs his shoulder, swinging him over to look at her. She practically drags him to a secluded spot, sighing when they’re alone. “What’s gotten into you? If it’s about this morning, I’m sorry for my suggestion this morning, I should’ve thought about you.”

 

Minato stares at her, unblinking. Was this his flesh and blood actually apologizing for something? That was new. 

 

“No, I just…” He runs a hand through his hair, finally breaking eye contact with her. “Didn’t sleep well last night.” It technically wasn’t a lie, considering he never went to sleep in the first place, instead flickering between consciousness and dead to the world.

 

Now it was her turn to stare at him, face creasing into worry. “Like… insomnia?”

 

“Um... I guess. Not like I have a diagnosis. I just can’t sleep. Where did that come from?” Now he was getting worried. It’s not like he vented to her about his sleep frustrations ever, really this was one of the only times he's mentioned it to her. How would she…?

 

Something clicked.

 

“Wait, did…?”

 

“Yeah.”

He rubs his eyes, now ready to board the next train out of there. First, he sees some creepy little boy making him sign a contract, then he almost gets shot by a supposed ‘prop,’ and now he has to live with the fact he was watched last night?

 

“Geez, I guess that singular sip of coffee woke you up because now you’re actually taking me seriously,” Hamuko playfully mocks, seemingly pleased by the fact that she was actually right.

 

Minato isn’t listening to her, still rubbing his eyes. His heart was pounding hard, causing him to rub his chest. He felt like someone had just zapped him with a lightning bolt, mind racing and body wanting to escape from itself.

 

“I need to use the bathroom.”

 

He pushes past her, making a hard right and goes down the hall, ignoring her pleas to wait up. His body pushes against the door, entering into the men’s room.

 

It’s pristine in the bathroom, white marble mocking his bewildered expression, the silence deafening in his ears to the point where he can hear a squeal of… something in the backdrop of the empty room. 

 

Minato goes to the sink, turning on the water. His fingers tremble to the clear liquid, letting it surround his hands and encases them in a freezing aura. A groan escapes his lips, feeling the black mass in his stomach begin to settle.

 

His eyes turned to look at the mirror, seeing the matted hair stick to his forehead and the redness around his pupils.

 

God, he was so tired.

 

_Faculty Office_

 

“You two must be the new students.”

 

Hamuko gives a nod towards the older woman, noting that she appeared eerily similar to Yukari’s appearance. Maybe they were related? Did she actually care? No, not really.

 

Her brother’s outburst (as much as Minato could have one) had startled her greatly and left her feeling drained. He didn’t say anything to her when he exited the bathroom and for once, Hamuko was glad. She didn’t know how to respond to it, nor did she expect that would actually happen.

 

It wasn’t helping that last night’s bender was beginning to finally catch up with her, invisible fingers pressing against her head in an attempt to crush her skull. She could only control her breathing, trying desperately to maintain her cool.

 

The woman checks a file in her hand. “Minato and Hamuko…” Her eyes scan down the page. “Both in 11th grade I see…” A pause. “You've both lived in a lot of different places…”

 

Hamuko didn’t know if she was impressed or merely stating facts about their past. At this rate, she was going to give a synopsis on their history.

 

“Let's see… in 1999… That was what, ten years ago? Your parents-” She stops, a gasp leaving her. She quickly closes the file, a startled frown on her reddening face.

 

She could sense her brother’s disdain radiating from behind her, and Hamuko couldn’t help but feel the same. But instead of getting upset, she merely smiled at the teacher.

 

“Don’t worry, we’re used to it,” Hamuko bites her tongue, knowing that if she continued it might go downhill for the conversation.

 

“I-I sincerely apologize. I’ve been so busy lately that I hadn’t had time to read this. I’m Ms. Torumi. I teach composition. Welcome to Gekkoukan.”

 

“...Thanks,” Minato drawls, shoving his hands into his pockets. Hamuko merely gives a pleasant smile alongside a nod.

 

Torumi clears her throat, briefly looking away from the pair. “Have you checked the classroom assignments? You both are in 2-F; which is my class.” She smiles once again at the pair. “But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The welcoming ceremony is starting soon. Follow me.”

 

“After you,” Minato says, beckoning Hamuko to go before him. She stares at him, trying to read any clue or sign about how he was feeling.

 

Instead, she was left with nothing.

 

_Homeroom_

 

“‘Sup, dude!?”

 

Minato drags his head off of the desk, coming eye to eye with a baseball-cap wearing student with the most confident grin he's seen since Hamuko duped her old homeroom teacher into letting her skip class. And that was a hard feat to beat, especially by some guy who just casually saunters up to you.

 

Usually he would’ve left the social pleasantries with his sister but of course, as luck would have it, she ran to the bathroom right as the bell rung, leaving him to his lonesome.

 

Well, besides whoever the hell this guy was.

 

“What do you want?” Minato questions, pushing himself out of the seat. He looks up to glare at the male, seeing the slightest wince in his brown eyes.

 

The teenager sighs, shaking his head. “Oh c’mon, lemme introduce myself at least.” His expression returns to its boisterous grin, his fingers tipping his cap up. “I’m Iori Junpei, nice to meet ya.”

 

“I’m enlightened. Was there a reason for this?”

 

A peculiar question, especially coming from Minato. While it showed to be a sign of annoyance, Arisato was actually concerned with the fact that he may have led himself into being on the ‘Yukari’s fan club’ hit-list.

 

It was safe to say that he wasn’t paying attention to the welcoming speech.

 

_‘Maybe mentioning that she was on another league wasn’t the smartest decision to horny teenagers. You live and learn.’_

 

“I moved here when I was in 8th grade,” Junpei explains, leaning against Minato’s desk. “I know how tough it is being the new kid. So I just wanted to say “Hey!” See if you were doing okay.”

 

“Um…” Minato wasn’t really expecting that for a response and promptly grabs his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. “Thanks… I guess.”

 

“It’s no problem!” Junpei says. “I was thinking, maybe I can show you-” He stops, looking to the entrance. “Oh hey, it’s Yukari-cchi! And…?” 

 

Yukari walks over to the boys, Hamuko right at her side as they finish up a conversation. 

 

Junpei strides over in front of Hamuko. “Yo, you must be the new girl! I’m-!”

 

“Iori Junpei,” Yukari finishes, giving an annoyed sigh. “I hope you’re not thinking of hitting on Hamuko-san. Especially with her brother right there.”

 

“Huh?” He looks from Minato to Hamuko, causing the latter to giggle. “You guys are siblings? The hell? I thought this was just some coincidental transfer.” He shrugs. “Guess that makes more sense.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Junpei-san!” Hamuko greets. “I hope my brother hasn’t been giving you a hard time. He’s a little shy around new people.”

 

Junpei waves a hand dismissively. “Nah, I can tell we’re gonna be faaaaassstt friends.”

 

_‘I don’t remember signing up for this.’_

 

At this point, Yukari’s arms had become crossed as she rolls her eyes at Junpei. “Honestly, don’t you think you might be bothering someone? Who says he wanted you to come up and bug him like that?”

 

Junpei’s face drops at this. “What? But, I was just being friendly. I could be saying the same to you! You just-” His hands make a series of gestures that Minato was not entirely sure actually meant anything. “-waltzed your way over here and joined the conversation! That’s an illegal action.”

 

“You called out to me!” Yukari throws her hands up in exasperation, face shifting into one that was about to either punch Junpei or start crying hysterically. Either way, Hamuko pats her on the shoulder, doing the worst job at hiding her snickering.

 

“See, Hamuko-san agrees with me!” Junpei rationalizes, using her laughter as some form of evidence for his airtight case against Yukari. “And I’m sure her brother here is totally on my side.”

 

“I’m leaving,” was all that Minato states, shrugging his backpack onto his shoulder and promptly leaving the trio behind to have a Phoenix Wright-Esque battle on the first day of school. While it may have been entertaining to watch, that enjoyment was merely good for a whole minute before it burnt out and just became irritating.

 

“God, see what you did? Minato-san, wait!”

 

He was already down the hall before he heard footsteps quickly catching up to him. Minato was ready to shrug off his sister’s endless questions before realizing that it wasn’t his sister who had caught up to him.

 

It was Yukari.

 

“Hey, I'm sorry about Junpei,” She begins, clutching her bag. “He can kinda be…” 

 

“Annoying?” Minato ventures, earning a soft giggle from her.

 

“Something like that. He means well. Usually. This isn’t helping, is it?” She sighs. “I just wanted to check in with you. See if your first day went alright.”

 

They had reached the front door at this point but instead of exiting, Minato pauses, causing Yukari to raise an eyebrow at him.

 

_‘I can’t possibly see what she gains out of this conversation. What’s her end game? Is this just some sort of ploy to get more info out of me? Was watching me at night not enough!?’_

 

His expression sours, and his hand grasps the handle of the door harshly. “Everything went fine. Don’t you have practice to go to?” 

 

And with that, he was gone, quicker than Yukari could react, leaving her alone once again.

 

_Gekkoukan Front Gates_

 

After the unexpected leave of Yukari (and expected leave of her brother), Humako decided to leave with Junpei to go walk home, taking an instant liking to the boy and his infectious enthusiasm.

 

“Whoa, check out the jocks on their run.” His head gestures to a group of guys in gray tracksuits running past them towards the horizon. “You can’t catch me in one of those.”

 

Hamuko laughs, bag knocking against her knees. “I don’t think you’d look too shabby in one. Why, not a fan of sports?”

 

His hand makes a ‘so-so’ gesture. “I mean, I like _some_ sports _,_ not really any of the ones they got around here. Now baseball on the other hand…” He pretends to swing a bat, then imitates the roar of a crowd.

 

“For some reason, I can see you enjoying it. Maybe it’s the hat. Or the fact you just made a home run with an invisible bat,” she teases, grinning at his proud smirk.

 

“Heh, at least someone appreciates my mastery.” They exit the gates, beginning to walk to the monorail. “So, you interested in any sports? We got a few girls can join and, you strike me as a physical type.”

 

She considers this. “Maybe. I haven’t actually been in any sports teams before, believe it or not. My brother is more the ‘sporty’ type,’ Hamuko admits.

 

Junpei’s eyes bulge out, mouth sputtering. “Y-Your brother?!”

 

Hamuko shrugs. “Yeah! When we were younger, he used to participate in a lot of swimming competitions. Not so much anymore…” Her voice trails off.

 

“Oh. Uh, can I ask why?” Junpei’s energy dials down than it had been previously, now clearly interested in their past.

 

…

 

“Well duh, it’s because he’s so short now!” Hamuko exclaims, pulling at a strand of hair and a large grin reappearing. “Maybe back then he could win but he’s shorter than me. I don’t think you have much of a chance when you’re smaller.”

 

Junpei blinks, seemingly not expecting that answer but takes it in stride. “Hey hey now, we don’t need to insult the height of a fellow man. After all, it’s the power inside that counts.” He smacks his chest for added measure, causing the pair to have a fit of laughter.

 

Eventually, the pair go their own ways, not before exchanging numbers and Junpei letting Hamuko get familiar with the layout of the town until the sun was beginning to set.

 

Hamuko definitely had many thoughts to chew on while she walked back home, a combination of her living situation, her brother, and the friendships she was developing.

 

Junpei has been a much-needed breath of fresh air from the paranoia surrounding her roommates and living situation, plus his generally carefree attitude was great to be around. Hamuko could tell that they would be fast friends, and she was happy to see that flourish.

 

Her relationship with Yukari, however, was on an interesting path. After having to go to the bathroom once school ended, she coincidentally ran into her roommate inside and the pair struck up a conversation, one that involved what they had discussed in the morning.

 

“Hey, you haven’t talked about last night at all, right?”

 

“I don’t think telling people you pulled a gun on me would be school appropriate.”

 

“...Maybe not. Don’t need that rumor to spread. I hope we can put that behind us, turn a new leaf.”

 

“Of course, a new leaf. Honesty and friendship, right?”

 

“Yeah, honesty and friendship.”

 

Hamuko wasn’t too sure if her new friend was actually pulling her weight with the ‘honesty’ aspect but she wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from someone who has been potentially spying on her.

 

And that left the biggest question of all. Why exactly were they observing them? Sure, Hamuko had a few possible theories on why they could’ve been doing it. Mainly, she did get in a pseudo-fight with Yukari, may have been drinking inside the dorm rooms, may have seen blood dripping down the walls…

 

Wait…

 

“Welcome back,” Mitsuru greets once Hamuko enters the dormitory. She’s sitting on the sofa, a book in hand while the television blares something about blossoms. 

 

Hamuko gives a wave alongside a smile, closing the door behind her. “Good evening, Kirijo-san. How has your day been?”

 

Mitsuru flips to another page of her book. “It was fine, the usual fare at Gekkoukan. How was the first day for you? Not too overwhelming I hope.” She chuckles at this.

 

“I had a great first day!” Hamuko replies, noting now that Yukari was sitting at the dining table. 

 

_‘Kinda weird that they’re sitting apart. Actually, it’s weird I didn’t notice Yukari when I came in. She seems… quiet.’_

 

“It was made even better when Yukari-san gave me and Minato a tour of the school,” she adds, hoping to have Yukari join the conversation.

 

She’s left with disappointment instead, watching as Yukari gets up from the dining chair and leaves up the stairs. Hamuko’s gaze turns to Mitsuru who seemed to notice the sight.

 

“Don’t worry, Arisato. I think something may have happened today. Best to just let her be.”

 

Hamuko nods to this, bidding Mitsuru a good night and walks up the stairs towards her room. She enters, placing her bag onto her desk and slowly retrieving her homework. 

 

_‘If I'm to be watched tonight, then it’s best I try and act normal. Really don’t need to be kicked out because of a late-night drink.’_

 

She sits down, grabbing a pencil and begins to do her assignments. Hamuko fumbles with her utensil, it dropping to the floor with a clack. Her hair was standing on end merely being in the room, causing her to have trouble finishing any of her work. Being watched was not a great feeling to have when you were trying to do your homework.

 

At that point, she gives up for the time being and shuffles over to her bed, sprawling onto the comforter and lets out a loud sigh into her pillow. 

 

If she was being watched, how exactly were they doing it?

 

Hamuko’s gaze eyes the room, analyzing every inch her gaze could reach. An obvious thought was a camera, the type that shops used but she was fairly certain she could tell where one was at this point.

 

_‘What if I’m just losing my mind? I mean, they could’ve been talking about something else completely! It’s not like everything has to center around me. Yeah, maybe I’m just losing…’_

 

A buzz erupts from her nightstand, her hand reaching over and grasping the phone in her hands. 

 

**_Yamada Jr: i have a plan_ **

 

Her eyebrow quirks at the sudden text from her brother.

 

**_Me: Oh? And what’s that?_ **

 

**_Yamada Jr: were gonna break in to that room and solve this surveilence fiasco_ **

 

That… that was NOT what she was expecting to hear from Minato of all people. When was the last time he had ever texted her to do something, let alone do something that could result in both of them getting kicked out? He had been acting weird the entire day but to the point of this? No, this couldn’t be right.

 

**_Me: First of all, work on your spelling. Second, you’re seriously saying we should go break in? What the hell is going on with you today? I’ve been trying to be supportive but you’re really worrying me._ **

 

She was beginning to worry when ten minutes passed without any response. Finally, her phone rings.

 

**_Yamada Jr: with or without you, im going in_ **

 

Hamuko pauses, fists clenching. This wasn’t going to end well.

 

She leaves the room.

_Dormitory Lounge_

 

“I’m going out for a bit.” 

 

Mitsuru takes a moment before looking up from her book, eyeing the confident smirk that Akihiko had been wearing more frequently and the slight shake his body held from what she could easily tell was a desire to fight.

 

“..Hm?”

 

“Didn’t you see the newspaper?” he ventures. “There’s a lot going on.” 

 

At this point, Mitsuru closes her book. “I know. People who have had no previous problems are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. The news has been reporting it lately. They say it’s due to stress but…” She grimaces.

 

Akihiko rolls his eyes, his smirk growing larger. “Yeah right. It has to be them. Otherwise…” he places a hand into his pocket. “It’s not worth my time.”

 

She sighs at this. “You have a one-track mind,” she states. “...Will you be okay going by yourself?”

 

“Don’t worry, I'm just getting a little practice.” And with that, he leaves her alone in the lounge, the door slamming after him.

 

“This isn’t a game, Akihiko.”

 

Mitsuru stands up, fingers clenching tightly against the cover of the book. Her heels echoed against the wooden stairs, counting beneath her while she ascends higher and higher.

 

It felt like a hundred years had passed before she made it to the fourth floor, key clicking against the lock as she opens the door and swiftly closes it behind her.

 

She sits down at the control center, turning the monitors on one by one. Mitsuru didn’t expect to see much from her new guests. Last night proved to be more of a chore than anything, Minato simply staying up all night. 

 

_‘Perhaps his sister might prove more futile.’_

 

Mitsuru turns her gaze to Hamuko’s monitor.

 

No one was inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a hot minute, hasn't it? My apologies for the late chapter! I don't have much for this note besides I hope you enjoy this installment! See you in the next one. Peace.


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minato and Hamuko set their plan into motion. Yukari and Mitsuru suspect something is amiss.

Chapter 3

04/08/09

“The Plan”

 

_Gekkoukan High_

 

Hamuko’s night had been… eventful to say the least.

 

Maybe an understatement, considering that instead of going to school and paying attention in class like every other student was doing, she now had to be on the lookout for something that couldn’t be taught in textbooks.

 

It wasn’t helping that she never had the chance to take a quick sip to relieve some of her stress, Minato never giving her a chance to go back to her room until it was time for her to start getting ready.

 

Speaking of her brother, Hamuko catches a glance of the disheveled twin sluggishly walking beside her, his hand rubbing his eyes every other minute in what was clearly an attempt to keep awake. Normally she might’ve felt bad for his plight of not being able to sleep, but since he kept her up for his idiotic plan, that pity was dwindling much like her ability to tolerate everything around her.

 

“You remember the plan, right?” His quiet tone pushes back her irritated thoughts, leaving her to nod simply.

 

“Make me do all the work while you…?”

 

His eyes roll in his sunken sockets. “Distract them, genius. Catching you bent over a door isn’t something you can explain away.”

 

“When you put it that way-” she begins to tease his choice of word usage before cutting herself off by the biting stare he gives her. “Okay fine, I get the plan. But… are you really capable of being nice for the next twelve hours? Your social skills are seriously lacking, Minato-chan. Maybe it would be better if I was the one to distract them!”

 

Minato shakes his head. “I’d agree with it normally but you know that subculture better than I do. Besides, my lack of interacting would get me beat up there. At least with them, it’s just more intense stalking.” His face remains neutral while he speaks, but twitches at the mention of stalking.

 

Hamuko sighs. “I guess. Second day in and we’re already one step away from getting kicked out again.”

 

“This time we’re not getting caught.” His tone is firm, a surprising amount of bravado from someone who could barely look at a girl for more than a split second. Hamuko was beginning to wonder if maybe this was all a dream, one that was induced by a drinking binge leading into a coma.

 

Surely, it was a better explanation than whatever the hell was actually going on. First, it was the engulfing moon, then the watching, and now she was ready to throw away her fresh start just to satisfy her brother’s paranoid delusions. And… her own.

 

Speaking of the moon, the power had gone out last night much like it did the previous when the sky was on psychedelics. The pair had to halt their brainstorming as no electronics would work so they really couldn’t do much. Both had been too nervous to try and speak, even if it should've been fine for them to do so. A security camera would’ve turned off too if their phones or lighting wasn’t working. Still, she did swear that she saw a red light...

 

The pair stop at the front-gates of Gekkoukan high, turning to look at one another. Hamuko stares into the bright gray eyes of her brother, searching them for the ready sign. She could see him analyzing her like a science project, that intense stare that had become trademarked by him now used against her.

 

It stopped after a moment, the realization set in for both of them.

 

They were going to break in, whether they wanted to or not.

 

_Homeroom_

 

The plan was already off to an awful start. 

 

Be it a combination of being new, being sleep-deprived, and wanting to go back to his dorm room and never come out again, Minato was having a rather difficult time in upholding his end of the bargain.

 

To put it simply, he was to be the one to distract their roommates into not going back to the dorms while Hamuko worked her magic and unlocked the doors. Relatively simple in theory, hard to execute once initiated.

 

Yes, he had a master plan in starting a chain of events that allowed him to block them from going back home through wit and charisma that oozed from every pore of his body. Ha, even he wasn’t stupid enough to believe that.

 

Being a dick to Yukari had come to bite him in the ass with her avoiding him at every possible meeting, be that awkward eye contact trying to enter the classroom at the same time or even standing five feet away from one another while riding the monorail.  Minato had originally intended in trying to get her to take him around town as they had (sort-of) planned the previous day but at that rate, it was more likely that he was going to be shunned for the rest of the year.

 

Then there was the problem with Mitsuru. She… scares him. Something about an upper-classman who had red hair and a cold demeanor made him want to contort into himself for some odd reason. Also, the fact that he couldn’t come up with a single reason to talk to her.

 

_‘Maybe if I had any actual social skills, I could come up with a half-way decent plan to distract the two of them. I’ve already gotten myself shot before I could even start the battle.’_

 

At the very least, Minato was thankful that he didn’t have to deal with ‘Sanada.’ Schoolyard rumors dictated that the guy was going to be busy all day long with some type of boxing match. He doesn’t know why the school allows boxing of all things but decides not to question it. It _was_ working in his favor.

 

He lets his chin rest in his hands, eye idly roaming the decently empty classroom. Morning sunshine speckled the white floors, making his eyes irritated to even stare at that direction.

 

What did he know about them? What could be a possible advantage that he had that they didn’t? His mind wanders briefly at the questions, arriving at an answer shortly after. They may have the technology to monitor him, but they certainly didn’t have the element of surprise as he had. In theory, they didn’t know that he knew.

 

That… could be of consideration.

 

Even with him and Hamuko brainstorming throughout the night, they had set the scene of one doing homework and late-night studying. The twins made sure to whisper, only speaking louder as to enhance the scene and add credibility. Anything important was written on paper.

 

Maybe a little overkill but Minato wasn’t going to let any advantage of his be taken away so easily.

 

Minato yawns into his fist, rubbing his eyes.

 

God, he was ready to about to pass out at any moment which likely wasn’t aiding in his quest of coming up with a perfect distraction. Every moment he let his eyes close, the void grasped and pulled at his mind to fall into a slumber, one where he was scared he wouldn’t wake up from. Dealing with ‘Insomnia’ or whatever the hell his roommates have concluded it was made his life a living hell.

 

He takes a bite from his convenience-store strudel, chewing thoughtfully. A distraction. Minato looks at his breakfast.

 

Wait…

 

An idea perks into his mind, one that was so implausible that it erred on the side of stupidity. But if it worked… then he would easily keep his end of the bargain sold. Now the only question became, how could he get Mitsuru and Yukari to walk down the hallway at the same exact time?

 

Well, he could try…

 

_Iwatodai Station_

 

Skipping school on the second day was certainly a new record for Hamuko. She liked to give a honeymoon period as to situate and categorize the people surrounding her but desperate times call for desperate measures. Now was a desperate time.

 

Junpei had been a good source of information on who to avoid, Hamuko alluding to the fact that she didn't want to mess with people who could cause her harm. That was when he donned his armor and sword, ready to draw out a map of places to avoid if you didn’t want to get robbed or worse.

 

And here she was, ignoring all info she had been given by him and going to Iwatodai Station to go and try to convince someone to give her lockpicks.

 

Yeah, maybe she and Minato were currently sharing one brain cell because the more she thought on this plan, the more holes were easily poked through it. Seriously, this was likely going to end up in her being in a situation she didn’t even want to give thought to.

 

Still, Hamuko had an obligation and she wasn’t going to break the promise she had made to him, even if it was going to cause harm to her. She needed to do this.

 

She walks as casually as she could, not trying to draw attention from any passersby. It couldn’t be helped that she got some stares because of her uniform, the best she could do was to take her jacket off to hide the school’s emblem. 

 

_‘Apparently, I couldn’t be bothered to bring a sweater with me.’_

 

Junpei had explicitly mentioned the alleys being the no-go zone if you didn’t want to get your ass kicked or robbed. Robbing was the keyword she took from that lecture, as robbing could mean jumping someone on the street. Or breaking into an establishment. The latter was of greater interest.

 

Her steps made the alleyway all the more imitating, the sound vibrating through the walls and making its way back to her figure. It wasn’t like this was the first time she had decided to walk down an alleyway, but this was the first time she was doing it in Iwatodai. That certainly made the difference.

 

Hamuko eventually begins to hear faint music streaming from the back of the alley, where she could make out a few vague figures standing and laughing. Her stomach twists into itself at what could possibly happen but she quickly brushes it off, setting her mood into utmost confidence.

 

“Well well, what do we have here? A lonely little school girl walking all alone?” What she perceived as the leader of the ragtag group with his stereotypical  ‘Banchō’ appearance twists his neck down to peer at her, smile wolfish. Hamuko recognizes the emblem on his jacket as being of Gekkoukan, meaning that the plan was going well as of now. Junpei mentioned the delinquents being of their school.

 

She nods, smiling brightly even if she felt like her heart was ready to short-circuit. “Of course! I love walking down alleyways to meet strange men.”

 

His eyebrows quirk at that, apparently not expecting that response. Some of the others chuckle at it, making him growl in frustration. “Okay then. What, were you looking for a good time? Those brown-nosed losers at Gekkoukan couldn’t satisfy you?” A few whoops and cheers follow after his question.

 

Hamuko gives her best girlish giggle. “Well…. You could say that. I was looking for a guy who was nimble with his fingers.” Yeah, a bit on the nose but sometimes you had to fight fire with fire.

 

“Oh?” He looks around to the group, extending his arms to encompass all of them. “I think we fit that description. Don’t we boys?” Another wave of cheers. His eyes dart back to her, seemingly amused. “You’re interesting. Don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Ya new?”

 

“Yeah, just moved here only two days ago,” she replies, pulling at a strand of her hair. 

 

“Figures. None of the girls at Gekkoukan are ballsy enough to skip school besides that one bitch. Nat-whatever the fuck it was.” He waves a dismissive hand. “So you needed someone with nimble fingers, huh?” The leader gives a cheeky laugh. “I’m not that fucking dumb to know this is a hookup. Why are you really here, sweetcheeks?”

 

Now it was her turn to be startled. Hamuko had thought she was doing decent with the whole ‘flirting and confident’ spiel she had going on but now that the tables had turned on her, she was left flustered.

 

Finally, she sighs and let her shoulders slump. “Okay, you got me. I wasn’t here for an orgy.” Some of the guys groan at the revelation. “I actually needed someone with expertise.”

 

“Expertise? Meaning…?”

 

“Lock picking.”

 

There’s a silence that drags on for way too long for her liking, all of the delinquents looking around at one another. The leader scratches at his bleached hair, dumbfounded at the statement.

 

_‘Am I tripping or are these guys way too shocked at this? Seriously, I didn’t ask for murder.’_

 

Okay, maybe she could see where they were coming from. Lockpicking was illegal in Japan and even having lockpicks on you were a punishable offense. Still, delinquents not willing to take risks was weird to her.

 

“Um… yeah, we’re not gonna fucking help you with lockpicking. This ain’t some boy scout bullshit, sweety. Why don’t ya go turn around and walk yourself back to school, hm? I don’t think you know what kinda fire you’re dealing with.”

 

A growing frustration had been building all day, be that the lack of sleep, lack of drinks to calm her nerves, and the fact that she was pussyfooting with some off-brand delinquent wasn’t settling her nerves in the slightest.

 

“Clearly you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing if you look shocked at the thought of it,” Hamuko responds. “I thought this was the big bad group of delinquents but no, this is just a bunch of cowards dicking around thinking they own the place. It was a pleasure talking to you all.”

 

She turns on her heel, each step pushing harder into the group as she hears the cries and curses sling at her from the group. Hamuko couldn’t help but feel herself tremble in fiery, skipping school and likely messing with her already-fragile reputation just to be let down. She couldn’t even claim to be scared of getting them mad at this point, rather the adrenaline and hormones dulling her senses.

 

Hamuko makes her way back to the main part of Iwatodai station, sucking in a breath when a hand clasps at her shoulder. She spins, almost whacking the person with her bag before realizing he had backed off.

 

A spindly boy with black hair had his hands raised in the air, thin eyebrows raised in alarm. He wore the Gekkoukan uniform with the jacket opened, showcasing a loose button-up and blue tie.

 

“Whoa, I ain’t here to attack you!” His voice raises a few notches. “I thought… maybe I could be of assistance.”

 

She waits a moment before lowering her bag, still keeping the space well between them. “I didn’t hear you volunteering back there.”

 

He rolls his eyes, lowering his arms. “Didn’t need to let everyone know I had illegal shit. A group of dumbasses doesn’t equal secrets well-kept.” His hand pats at the inner-pocket of his jacket. “You could say I've been known to dabble in locks.”

 

“And you want to help me because…?” Honestly, she was rather curious about the reason. There had to be one besides being such a good citizen in aiding with breaking in. It wasn’t like they were friends or anything, let alone even acquaintances really.

 

“Better than dealing with them for another day,” he explains. “Who fucking knew there wasn’t a good selection of people to hang with?” A grin creeps up. “Plus… I like practicing the craft. Getting an opportunity like this is practically unheard of.”

 

Hamuko’s put off at first but slowly begins to feel somewhat reassured that she wasn’t going to be beaten up. At the very least, he had better manners than the rest of the group. That had to count for something. “I can respect that. Not every day you meet a master thief.” She laughs slightly at his reaction, ears reddening from her compliment. “It won’t be as glamorous as you think. I actually need someone to teach me how to pick one. And… maybe let me loan a few.” 

 

His hands immediately go to his pocket, shielding them away. “My babies!? Do you know how hard it is to get these? Me doing the picking? Sure. But I don’t know if I can trust ya. Sorry.”

 

“C’mon, there has to be some way I can prove to you that I won’t steal them. Please, I really really need to learn today.” Hamuko makes her best frown, batting her eyes at the boy. His head turns away, finally letting out a sigh.

 

“Okay fine, maybe you can prove to me that you can be trusted. It won’t be easy though.” He places a hand on his chin in a thinking gesture, looking around at their surroundings, finally narrowing in on a lone man. “To prove you can be trusted, swindle that guy outta 1000 yen.”

 

“1000 yen?” She takes a closer inspection of the businessman, seeing him type rapidly on his cellphone. He was around his forties, and Hamuko could tell from where she stood that he was frazzled.

 

Her acquaintance shrugs. “Count yourself lucky, I could’ve said 5000.” He gives a brisk laugh.

 

_‘Minato better be distracting them or I swear…’_

 

“I got this!”

 

_2nd Floor Hallway - After School_

 

Minato was indeed distracting, a bit in a way that he wasn’t sure was working out too well.

 

His body was sprawled across the hallway, him laying face down as he tries to get back up but fails. He was just way too weak, to the point where he needed two strong women who happened to be his roommates to help him get back up.

 

“Minato-san, are you okay?!” Yukari’s voice rang from above him, soon her presence kneeling beside him as she shakes his shoulder. 

 

Yeah, he was in a doozy alright.

 

The only brilliant plan he could come up with was to fake having a near passing out session in front of the student council room while Yukari was following him. According to sources, (Junpei’s big mouth), Mitsuru had been staying after school setting up the student council room for the year. Very convenient if Arisato could say so himself.

 

That was easy enough. The hard part was having Yukari follow him without having a stupid-ass reason. 

 

“Takeba-san.” 

 

Minato stood next to her desk once the bell rang, blocking her way from leaving before he could have a talk with her. She slowly looked up to him, the usual smile she had replaced with a frown.

 

“Yes, Minato-san?” Her voice betrayed her clear annoyance with him, Minato feeling like she was talking to Junpei than she was to him. He supposed he couldn’t blame her. Not a lot anyway.

 

_‘She’s just overreacting. I didn’t even say anything.’_

 

Yet his chest was tight and felt like it had been dipped into boiling oil. Okay, maybe he was a tad rude the previous day.

 

“I…” His eyes look away from hers, blinking harshly and a sigh escapes him. “...Want to apologize.” He looks back to her. “I was rather rude to you yesterday. So… I’m sorry.” Minato’s voice falters at the last bit.

 

A peculiar look appears on her face briefly before reverting back to a neutral state, if being a tad more comforting than the annoyance she was radiating previously. “It’s fine. New schools can be tough getting used to. Just…” She pauses. “...Nevermind. Thank you for the apology.”

 

“Yeah…” Minato backs away from her desk, taking a seat on the one behind him. The majority of the class had left at this point, leaving the two of them to have a decent amount of privacy. Hamuko had left during the morning, asking to go to the bathroom before skipping out he presumed. An awkward silence falls between them, and Minato knew he needed to put step two into place.

 

His eyebrow quirks at the non-existent vibration of his phone, pulling it up from his pocket and checking the blank screen. “Um… do you know where the council room is? My sister is telling me to meet her there.”

 

“It’s on the second floor,” she replies, closing her bag. “Why, do you need me to show you there?”

 

“...Maybe.”

 

Yukari quietly huffs, rolling her eyes playfully. “Did you apologize just so I could be your tour guide?”

 

Minato’s face reddens at the accusation, him shaking his head. “W-What? I thought we let bygones be bygones.”

 

“I dunno. Maybe I need a little more from you.” Her eyes meet his and for a moment, the surrounding environment stood still. Yukari smiles lightly, pulling her bag over her shoulder. “Just kidding. C’mon, let’s go.”

 

The walk through the school was oddly quiet, Yukari mentioning offhand that people had a tendency to leave rather quickly for clubs and just to hang out. It made the travel through the halls much more relaxing for Minato at least, even if that relaxation was going to be broken in half once the main haul of his plan initiated.

 

It was funny, gut-busting even. Here he was using her to further his goals yet his mind had chalked up to her using him. Not that he would ever admit it.

 

And now here he was, lying on the floor while Yukari was trying to get him to respond. Minato could physically feel his karma plummet.

 

“I t-think… Hamuko bought us bad food…” he huffs out, giving a groan at the ‘pain’ his stomach was suffering from.

 

“What’s going on out here?” Mitsuru steps out from the council room, rushing over and kneeling besides Minato. “Do you need medical attention, Arisato?”

 

“I- need somewhere to sit,” was his pitiful reply.

 

“Of course, let me help you into the student council room. Takeba,” she looks at Yukari. “Help me get him in there.”

 

“I was planning on it!” Yukari replies sharply, grabbing one of his arms while Mitsuru grabs the other. They haul him up rather easily, a surprise for both Minato and both of the girls. He does his best to pretend he’s wobbly while they get him a seat inside, Yukari taking a seat beside him while Mitsuru went to the back.

 

“Here, we don’t need you getting dehydrated.” Mitsuru hands him a paper cup full of water, which he takes a small sip from.

 

“Thank you, Mitsuru-senpai. Yukari-san.” He gives a nod to both, sighing deeply and rubbing his forehead.

 

Yukari leans forward, rubbing her hands together. “What happened? You seemed fine this morning.”

 

Minato scratches his neck, taking another sip. “Hamuko bought us something for breakfast but…” he gives another oscar-winning groan. “It must’ve gone bad or something.”

 

“Where is Hamuko-san?” Yukari questions, causing Mitsuru to raise an eyebrow. “She left class this morning and never came back.”

 

Oh shit. 

 

_‘Really Minato? You didn’t think of an excuse for her being gone? Fuck fuck fuck-’_

 

He swallows dryly, now feeling the need to run out of the room and pretend this day hadn’t occurred. “She…” Minato finishes the rest of the water as a buffer, needing more time to think.

 

_‘C’mon, don’t become tongue-tied now.’_

 

“...Must’ve gone home. We ate the same thing so it probably hit her before it did to me,’ he concludes.

 

Both Yukari and Mitsuru look at one another briefly, faces returning in… sympathy? 

 

“Not the best way to start the day, huh?” Yukari says, Mitsuru nodding her head in agreement. She pats his shoulder, causing him to jolt. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re cared for.”

 

“Indeed. Nous allons aller à la racine de ceci.” Mitsuru agrees, smiling and placing her hand on his other shoulder.

 

Even if his lie had been a success, Minato had a peculiar feeling that maybe this plan hadn’t worked out like he hoped it did.

 

After all, didn’t he tell Yukari that Hamuko was meeting him here?

 

_Beef Bowl Shop_

 

Hamuko supposed there was some truth to there being things you can’t learn at school. One being how to persuade a man into giving you 1000 yen and learning how to open doors illegally.

 

She wasn’t sure she should feel bad or proud of the fact that she easily swindled a lonely businessman out of pocket change but she did it, and now had the money in her bag to prove it.

 

The lock-picking delinquent or, Kichiro, she was soon informed of (knowing his name beforehand was a security threat according to him), had practically broken his jaw when he saw her saunter back with the money in hand, a smug grin on her face.

 

“What? Did you have no faith in me? That’s so rude!”

 

In celebration, Kichiro took both of them to the beef bowl shop and even paid for the pair.

 

“I appreciate the meal,” Hamuko begins, drawing a circle in the broth with a chopstick. “But isn’t it a little suspicious for us to be here right now?” The fact that they were the only two teenagers in the shop was clearly really out of place, not adding the fact that they were both in uniforms.

 

Kichiro slurps from his bowl, dropping it back onto the counter and sighs in contentment. “Don’t worry, I'm a frequent customer so I get VIP perks. Right?” He grins at the cook who simply shakes his head at the teen. “See?”

 

Hamuko laughs at the exchange, letting go of her chopsticks. “Clearly. I didn’t know I was in cahoots with a ‘very important person.’”

 

He shrugs. “The more you know.” Kichiro cracks his knuckles, soon moving to each individual finger. “Kay, let’s get down to business.” He stands up, waving her to follow him.

 

She thanks the cook before leaving, her companion leading her to the back of the shop obscured by a curtain. Mainly boxes and dust littered the area, being some type of storage area. Kichiro starts opening up a few of the boxes, coughing when a cloud of dust engulfs around his face.

 

“Gah! They really need to start cleaning this place,” he grumbles, closing the box and moving on to another one.

 

“And this is the place you decide to take me?” she jokes, pulling her phone out. It was almost the time when school let out.

 

_‘Hopefully, Minato will buy me some time. I’ve already wasted enough.’_

 

“Ah-ha!”

 

Kichiro pulls out a… door handle?

 

“Just, casually have that stored away? Not weird, just questioning it.” Hamuko raises her hands in surrender when he gives her the stink eye, breathily laughing at the situation as a whole. Really, here she was learning how to lockpick at the back of a ramen shop after swindling a forty-year-old man. Her life could be a novel.

 

Kichiro wipes away the grime from it, walking over and presenting it to her. “We replaced the locks and decided to keep the old ones. Well… more so for me to practice on.”

 

“We?” Hamuko questions. 

 

His face reddens, him giving a sheepish laugh. “Oh! Yeah… may have forgotten the part where my family owns the joint.”

 

“So… ‘VIP’ equals ‘my family pays for my meals, huh?” 

 

“That’s not important! You’re getting sidetracked.” He tuts at her, pulling out two chairs for them to sit on. “Let the master teach his pupil without getting mocked, hm? This is my dojo.”

 

Hamuko rolls her eyes but obliges, for the time being, seeing as this was the only avenue for her to fulfill her part of the plan.

 

He pulls out his kit from the pocket of his jacket, removing two pieces of metal. “Okay, so these are what you’re gonna need. This-” he waves a piece of metal that has the ends curved. “-is a tension wrench. This will apply pressure. While this-” he waves the other which has a sort-of wave design at the end. “-is the pick rake. This one should work with whatever you’re trying to pick.”

 

Kichiro goes on to explain the art of ‘scrubbing’ as he puts it, which according to him is the quickest way of picking a lock just by pressure and torque. He has her hold the lock while he demonstrates the process, easily opening it in one fell swoop.

 

“Wow! I’m really impressed,” Hamuko admits. She had always thought it took time and dedication, maybe ten minutes to lockpick but Kichiro made it looked like this was just an average day.

 

A smile appears on his face. “Thanks. Some take more time to do but for most locks, this method will work fine. Why don’t we have you try?” He resets the lock and holds it for her, nodding for a moment but soon readjusts her hands into a better position. “Don’t put too much pressure. It’s always a good rule to use less than you think.”

 

Around ten minutes pass before Hamuko raises a fist in victory. “Yes! I did it!”

 

“Good job!” Kichiro congratulates, raising his hand for a high five which she immediately delivers on. She beams at the boy, failing to realize the slight tinge of his cheeks turning darker from her stare. “S-So that’s about all there is to it. We can practice a few more times so-”

 

“Oh shit, I need to get going NOW.” Hamuko puts her phone away, jumping to her feet. “I promise I'll return these back to you. Why don’t I get your number and I'll text you so we can meet up?” Her words were rushed, mumbling and mixing together. She hadn’t realized that much time had passed and she was tethering on wasting precious time.

 

His mouth opens to say something but closes soon after, nodding his head. “Yeah okay. Here.”

 

They exchange numbers, Hamuko practically bouncing off the walls at that point.

 

“I seriously owe you! We can discuss it more tomorrow.” She bounds towards the front of the shop, Kichiro trailing quickly behind her. “Bye Kichiro-san!”

 

“B-!”

 

She was gone before he could finish his sentence, wave cut off by her abrupt departure. He sighs, the cook shaking his head at the boy.

 

“Teh. No second date, eh?”

 

“S-Shut up!”

 

_Men’s Bathroom_

 

Faking having food poisoning wasn’t so bad actually. Yeah, Minato had to stay in the men’s bathroom which didn’t particularly have the best scent but the wifi was great and he had the utmost privacy in the stall, more than he could say he had at his dorm.

 

His head bobs to the music playing through his headphones, laptop sitting snugly in his lap. Mitsuru had been the one to suggest he stay in there, as to help alleviate the need for him to keep running back and forth because of diarrhea. Of course, she had stated it in a much more eloquent way than ‘We don’t want you shitting yourself in the council room. Please leave.’

 

Minato idly scrolls through the comment section of the video he was watching, suppressing a yawn with a clenched fist. Call him weird but it was actually soothing to have the bathroom all to himself, not to have the fear of being watched lingering over him, to just be free. All alone.

 

His eyes close.

 

He snaps them open. 

 

_‘Let’s go to the next video.’_

 

His cursor hovers over another, clicking the title. Music begins to play through his headphones. The particular song was much more soothing than the heavy metal was previously. 

 

_‘Wow, talented at the piano. Really, must be nice to… play…’_

 

His eyes close.

 

They don’t open.

 

_Council Room_

 

“He’s been in there for a while,” Yukari states, fingernails clicking against the desk impatiently. Having to be on nurse duty forced her to miss archery practice, and that certainly didn’t sit right with her.

 

“Having food poisoning can do that to a person,” Mitsuru replies, shuffling paperwork at the front of the room.

 

The brunette rolls her eyes. “Do you seriously believe he has it? I think the whole thing is kinda sketchy, especially because of-”

 

“I know Takeba,” Mitsuru states, cutting the former off. Her usual composed self was everso cracked, a flake of the porcelain chipped off of her. From the first meeting with both of the twins, she knew something was off with them. “There’s something dubious about the pair.”

 

“I mean, being disarmed was a red flag,” Yukari huffs, annoyed with having to spend her free time here and with Mitsuru of all people. Takeba couldn’t say she disliked her, more so that she was suspicious of the older girl, just like she was suspicious of the twins. Couldn’t there be someone trustworthy she could meet for once?

 

“Awake during the hour being another.” Mitsuru reaches into a cabinet pressed against the back-wall, pulling out two files. She sits down next to Yukari, placing the two files down onto the table. “Their history is certainly… colorful.”

 

Yukari gasps, looking from the files to Mitsuru. “You seriously just have these lying around? Isn’t it kinda wrong to just read someone’s life history?”

 

“Not if it helps with giving us a better picture to our tenants.” Mitsuru blankly remarks, opening one of the files. A picture of Hamuko was plastered on the top left of the page. Mitsuru’s finger drags across the page, stopping and tapping the spot. “A history of skipping school. Interesting that she’s been gone since this morning, non?”

 

Yukari stares at Mitsuru for a minute before grabbing the file for herself, eyes skimming the contents, gasping every few seconds.

 

“I… what the hell? But she looks so...so…!”

 

“Innocent? A perception many would agree with.” She watches Yukari finish the file, lips creased once the brunette closes the file.

 

Yukari rubs her temples, sighing heavily. “And I just thought they had the potential.” She gestures to the file. “This… tells me a completely different story.”

 

Mitsuru slides the other folder to Yukari. “A look at our male classmate. Perhaps less chaotic and more… tragic.”

 

Yukari eyes Minato’s folder, hesitating on reading the contents. Even if he was suspicious, there was a twinge in her heart that made her feel bad if she did.

 

_‘He’s lying to me though. And he was rude yesterday and is making me miss practice because of his so-called ‘sickness. But…’_

 

…

 

She takes his file, opening it.

 

_Iwatodai Dormitory - Fourth Floor_

 

“C’mon…”

 

Hamuko jiggles the door handle, a string of curses mutters under her breath. Unlocking the practice lock had been a relatively easy affair for her but for some reason, actually needing to use the skill was causing her serious trouble.

 

It didn’t help that her body was shaking from some type of withdrawal, a metaphorical lamp placed on her that caused her body to feel like it was lit aflame. Her teeth clench, breath slowing as her eyes light up at the ‘click!’

 

She wipes her knees, placing the tools into her jacket’s pocket and rests her hand onto the handle. It was cold to the touch, vaguely making her think that it hadn’t been used in some time. Hamuko knew otherwise but, compared to the burning itch her skin was experiencing, lukewarm was now a winter breeze to her.

 

Hamuko pauses, something telling her to not go inside. That little voice in her head chirps to let it just be, to just pretend that none of this was happening. It would be much better to forget, to erase it from her mind. She would be happier that way. Surely, ignorance would be better?

 

Teeth dig into the skin of her lip.

 

Another pause.

 

She opens the door.

 

Her breath hitches in her throat at the sight.

 

A first glance made the room look normal, two red couches placed to face one another with a table separating them. Average walls, average flooring, average monitors giving an electrical hum from the back of the room.

 

“What the…?” Her body walks without her mind’s consent, trailing over to the large monitors stationed on the wall. They weren’t turned on but she could hear that hum machines made from the inner-workings.

 

Hamuko leans over, tentatively flipping a switch next to the first monitor. The screen flickers to life, brown eyes widening at the sight.

 

It was her brother’s room.

 

She begins flipping the other switches, breathing growing more spastic as all of them come alive, live footage being played from different parts of the house.

 

_‘Holy fuck. This can’t be…?’_

 

Pulling her phone out, she takes a few pictures of the area and immediately sends to Minato. Her heart’s beating fast, knocking harder against her ribcage when she hears a loud creaking coming from the stairs. 

 

Hamuko switches off the monitors in quick succession, gawking around the room until finally hiding behind the cabinets. She places her hand over her mouth and nose, watching as the front door is pushed open.

 

“Hm? Is someone in here?”

 

An unfamiliar voice rings from the entrance, Hamuko soon spying a man walking in with brown hair and a beige ensemble. He looks much older than any of her roommates and feels rather out of place at a dormitory.

 

“Huh. Guess they couldn’t _handle_ using the handle.” The man laughs at his awful pun, causing Hamuko to lose a few brain cells at the joke. 

 

He sits down in front of the monitors, fiddling with the controls. She eyes him and the door, seeing he had left it slightly ajar. Hamuko gets up and slowly makes her way over to the door, freezing every few seconds when the man pauses from what he’s doing.

 

Finally, she slides herself out of the room, going down the stairs in the quickest fashion that didn’t involve waking up the entire neighborhood. Hamuko opens the front door, rushing out back into the street.

 

_‘Time to lock that memory away.’_

 

_Control Room_

 

Shuji thrums under his breath, playing with the metal pick in his hands, letting it twist around his fingers.

 

“It seems someone forgot to _pick_ up their tools.” 

 

He laughs.

 

_Iwatodai Dormitory Lounge - Some Hours Later_

 

Minato felt proud for completing his part of the plan. And felt like shit for falling asleep in the bathroom. He didn’t know how long his snooze session had been but by the time he had woken up, his computer was bordering on dead and the lights in the bathroom were off.

 

He had been fortunate that his dream was just one black screen, no images or symbols or whatever bullshit dreams tended to have were involved. It was… relaxing. Sure, he needed around forty more hours to make up but at the very least, it was a start.

 

By the time he had gone back to the council room, Yukari was gone, leaving only Mitsuru to be doing whatever a school president did.

 

“Ah, I seem you’ve returned. You were in there for quite a while, Arisato.” She grabs her bag from one of the chairs, walking over to him. “I hope that you’re well enough to accompany me to the dorms.”

 

Minato briefly forgot what the hell she was talking about and his eyes widen when he realizes he was supposed to be down with a case of food poisoning. His brows furrow, a tight frown accompany it.

 

“O-Oh yeah. I think I’ll be fine.”

 

The trip back ‘home’ was quiet, Mitsuru seeming to either not want to interact with the sick twin or simply didn’t have much to converse with. Really, Minato didn’t give her much of leverage on that one. They had what, one brief conversation before this day? 

 

_‘Hamuko was steering that one anyways.’_

 

The sun was setting once they arrive, the dorm lights sprinkling the windows with a yellow tinge. For some reason, it struck Minato as eerie.

 

“Ah, chairman Ikutsuki,” Mitsuru greets once the pair is inside, eyes directed towards an older male.

 

‘Ikutsuki’ smiles at the pair, gesturing for them to sit down. Minato sees Yukari and decides to sit next to her, noticing she was being rather… jumpy?

 

_‘What’s up with her?’_

 

“I see this is one of our new guests,” Itsuki says, crossing his legs. “My name is Ikutsuki Shuji. I’m the Chairman of the Board for your school.”

 

“Ah,” Minato simply replies, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Shuji appears pleasant enough but there was an underlying tension in the room. Almost as if he was being left out on something.

 

“Ikutsuki… hard to say, isn’t it?” He laughs, eyes never leaving Minato. “That’s why I don’t like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes…”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Ikutsuki chuckles again, head nodding. “Indeed. I sincerely apologize for the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment.”

 

“And how long is that going to take?” Minato questions. He looks over to Yukari who had sunk into the couch at that point, fiddling with the sleeve of her cardigan. Mitsuru meanwhile simply smiles at Minato, eyes boring through him like she was trying to decipher a riddle instead of looking at a classmate.

 

The man shrugs. “From a few days to another week. We’ll just have to see. Is there a problem with it?” He leans forward, staring at him with the same intensity that Mitsuru was.

 

“Um…”

 

Before Minato was evaporated from the laser-beams pointed at his skull, the front door swung open, revealing his sister with a plastic bag in her hands. Her eyes meet Minato's and a mutual relief passes through the pair.

 

_‘Wow, the one time I actually want to see her.’_

 

Ikutsuki leans back into the chair, a smile returning. “Ah! You must be the other new resident. I’m Ikutsuki Shuji, Chairman for your school.”

 

Hamuko looks bewildered at first but quickly returns the expression. “It’s so nice to meet you! Sorry for being late, I decided to take the plunge and trek out for medication.” She throws a bottle to Minato, who gives her a slight nod of his head in thanks.

 

The Chairman’s eyebrow raises at this, Mitsuru explaining what had occurred to both of the twins. He nods. “How unfortunate! Perhaps you _oat_ to go to bed early.” He laughs, everyone else either internally cringing or politely smiling at the joke.

 

He leaves soon after, both Yukari and Mitsuru retiring to their bedrooms. The twins head up the stairs, Hamuko squealing when Minato actually returns her bid of goodnight.

 

Minato enters his room, locking the door behind him and placing his bag onto his desk. He changes out of his uniform into a pair of shorts and a plain t-shirt, soon sitting on the edge of his bed.

 

His phone buzzes on the nightstand, him reaching over to open it.

 

**_Ignore: So did you look at the pictures I sent you???_ **

 

**_Me: no my phone died while at school. gimme a min_ **

 

He pauses.

 

**_Me: hey how did u know abt the food poisoning?_ **

 

**_Ignore: What do you mean? You texted me about it some hours ago._ **

 

**_Me: no i didnt. My phone was dead._ **

 

**_Ignore: What._ **

 

**_Ignore: That can’t be possible. You texted me!_ **

 

**_Me: i really didnt. thats why i never saw the pics. didnt even know u sent any_ **

 

Another pause.

 

**_Me: all these pics are corrupted. wtf happened_ **

 

**_Ignore: They were fine when I sent them!_ **

 

**_Ignore: Seriously, all that hard work and now they’re corrupted?? Lemme try sending them again._ **

 

**_Ignore: They’re gone! All of the pictures I took are all gone._ **

 

**_Me: did u accidentally delete them?_ **

 

**_Ignore: I’m not that fucking stupid._ **

 

**_Ignore: Ugh, we’ll regroup tomorrow. I’m seriously gonna pass out any minute. BTW, use that medication. It should help. Love you stupid :)_ **

 

**_Me: goodnight dumbass_ **

 

He places the phone back on the nightstand and returns to his desk to pick up the bottle. Minato didn’t really give it much thought when she threw it to him, but on closer inspection, it appeared to be sleeping medication.

 

_‘I already fell asleep earlier. Do I really need to sleep again?’_

 

Minato shakes the bottle, listening to the pills rattle inside. The sound alone was tempting enough to guzzle them all down. But, what if there was a chance he would have-

 

He sighs, rubbing his eyes. As much as he didn’t want to, him being sleep-deprived any longer was likely going to cause him more trouble than not being able to pay attention in class. After all, how the hell did he even text her when his phone was dead? Minato was sure that it died when he passed out in the bathroom, so how did that exchange even occur?

 

Something was really off, and him being tired wasn’t aiding much.

 

Opening the bottle, he shakes two white pills out. He grabs a cup near the sink and fills it with water, hesitantly taking the medication.

 

_Hamuko’s Room_

 

**_Me: Hey Kiricho! It’s me, Hamuko._ **

 

**_Ramen Thief: ooh hey!! Hope everything went well with your breaking in shit lol_ **

 

**_Me: It went somewhere alright lol. Do you want to meet after school? Maybe we can go somewhere not owned by your family haha_ **

 

**_Ramen Thief: for sure! Ill txt u the deets tmw. Gn hamuko : )_ **

 

**_Me: Goodnight Kiricho : )_ **

 

_Control Room - Some Hours Later_

 

“How’re they doing?” Ikutsuki asks, standing behind Yukari and Mitsuru. The monitors were on, showing footage of both Hamuko and Minato sleeping.

 

“They’re both asleep,” Mitsuru replies. “This is the first time that we’ve seen him go to bed.”

 

He nods. “Interesting. I wonder if that medication was something else than a reliever,” he chuckles. 

 

“So…” Yukari begins. “Do you think that they both have the potential? I’m starting to feel really bad watching them like this. And... “ she looks over to Mitsuru before her eyes rest back to Ikutsuki. “I think they know we’re watching.”

 

Another laugh from the man, this time not as lighthearted. He reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a pick. “You certainly have a right to be suspicious.”

 

Yukari gasps at seeing the object, Mitsuru extending her arm to take hold of it. “...I see her skipping school had more of an objective than initially thought.”

 

“I don’t know if I'm impressed or terrified,” Yukari groans, placing her head into her hands.

 

“Both is understandable,” Shuji says. “The pair are quite capable when put under pressure. But…” He walks over to the control center, rewinding one of the monitor’s footage. There showed Hamuko sneaking into the room, taking a few pictures with her phone. He fast-forwards it to when he had entered the room, it being obvious from the recording angle that Shuji had been well aware of her being inside the room. “...Their skills can certainly be refined.”

 

He sits down on one of the stools. “We’ll continue watching tonight as to confirm their potential. Once done, we can begin planning their introduction.”

 

“Understood,” Mitsuru replies.

 

“This still doesn’t feel right,” Yukari grumbles, shifting more comfortably into her seat. Her conscious felt a heavy burden at having to watch them, more so know that she knew that well… they knew. 

 

Her eyes wander back to Minato’s monitor, vaguely wondering what he was dreaming about.

 

_???_

 

The room was spinning or rather, it was going up. Hamuko’s fingers clench tightly onto the fabric of the blue couch, a pressure building up in her head at the high speed the room was going. Light would burst sporadically from the mesh that covered the wall facing her, a clock’s hands ticking quickly as if someone had sped up the mechanisms.

 

Three figures were in front of her, a man with an extraordinarily long nose sitting down on a chair while a younger male in blue stood next to him, hands clasped behind his back. His yellow eyes bore through the girl. The third was a female with similar eyes and hair color to the younger man, but instead of staring at her she was staring at something beside her. Hamuko looks to her right but sees nothing.

 

_‘What the…?’_

 

“Welcome… to the Velvet room!” The older man greets, owl-like eyes staring at her. “My name is Igor. I am absolutely delighted to make your acquaintance.”

 

“Um… hello,” Hamuko replies, giving a weak wave. “Where… am I again?”

 

“The Velvet room,” Igor repeats, smile still wide. “These two are Elizabeth and Theodore, my assistants and residents of this room much like myself.”

 

Elizabeth smiles but once again, not directly at the girl. Theodore merely bows to Hamuko, his face blank.

 

Igor gestures to their surroundings with a gloved hand. “This place exists between mind and matter, dream and reality. You have been granted access due to signing a contract.” Hamuko looks at the table separating them and sees a contract with her name on it. When did she write that…?

 

“So this is some kinda dream, right? Never seen an elevator this big before,” she jokes, earning a smirk from Theodore.

 

“Precisely! You and another have special abilities that can only evolve with our help.”

 

_‘Another? Is he referring to Minato?’_

 

“The only thing I ask of you is to abide by the contract and accept full responsibility for all the choices you make.” His hand waves into the air, a small key appearing from the air and landing into Hamuko’s lap. “Hold onto this. You will need it when you come back on your own accord.” 

 

She takes a look at the key, finding it to be a dark blue with an odd pattern engraved into it.

 

“Until we meet again.”

 

The room becomes black.

 

_Minato’s Room_

 

His body shifts uncomfortably under the covers, tossing and turning rapidly. He mutters under his breath.

 

_Hamuko’s Room_

 

She shifts and tosses under her covers, eyes squeezed shut. Hamuko mutters under her breath.

 

_Iwatodai Alleyway_

 

Kichiro grimaces as he watches the other male leave with two girls on his arms, their laughter echoing down the alley until they’re merely a speck in the distant.

 

He opens and closes his phone, allowing it to repeatedly clack until he finally stands up. The music playing suddenly stops, leaving him in an uncomfortably quiet environment. His eyes dart to the sky, gasping when he sees that the pitch-black sky was now a hideous shade of green.

 

Black coffins rupture around him, enclosing him into the alleyway. Blood sloshes down the ground, soaking his shoes in the substance. His phone drops into the red puddle.

 

“What the fuck?!” 

 

His scream is cut short as black liquid streams from his orifices, dripping from his sockets and ears. Kichiro desperately tries to wipe away the inky material.

 

He fails.

 

The night goes on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is way longer than I originally intended it to be. Seriously, it was supposed to be maybe 4,500 words at most? Now it's doubled that haha. This is where 'canon-divergence' starts to really be put into place for this fanfic. Apparently, me diverging from canon causes me to write WAY more. I hoped this chapter proved interesting as I have the twins go on a differing path than they did in canon.
> 
> I also want to note that I don't plan on including OC's in this story at all? The most I'm doing is just having characters already in the game become a little more fleshed out. Take Kichiro for example. He was just the guy who got his ass messed up from the Midnight Hour during this day in the game but now I gave him a little more leverage to stand on. I mean his fate looks about the same but just something to note as I thought maybe readers may question that. 
> 
> Anyways, that's about all I have. Hope to see you in the next week or two for the next chapter. Peace.


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